What's New :: News :: School Employees Credit Union of Washington

What's New

Open and fund a new Membership application
with just a few clicks

Ready to say goodbye to bank fees and move your checking account to the credit union? Want to give the gift of membership to a special grandchild, niece, or nephew? Do it all without leaving your computer!

With our new online Membership Application, you can securely open an account from home, work, or even your mobile device. If you find you need to take a break while you’re filling out the application, just save it on our secure website and come back later.

Why apply online?

Get instant membership approval with an easy paperless process. You’ll become one of our member-owners.
Fund your account online – nothing to send in.
Choose the correct account with ease thanks to age labels that guide you to the right application for kids 10 and under, teens, and adults.
Complete the process in four easy steps: 1) Select; 2) Confirm; 3) Fund; and 4) Start using your new account.

Currently, the online Membership Application is available only for deposit accounts. But check back in early 2012 when we plan to introduce it for loans.

It’s time to move your checking

Aren’t you tired of paying fees?

Seven easy steps to move your checking account.

In a recent Bankrate.com study, Seattle ranked as the nation’s fourth most-expensive city for bank fees. (Even New York City was cheaper!)

If you still have your checking account with a bank, you’re paying an average of $306.56* a year in checking service fees and ATM charges.

A checking account from School Employees Credit Union offers you all the convenience with none of the fees. Plus, you’ll earn 7.71% APY dividends on the first $500 in the account when you use both e-Statements and automated deposits.

Oh, sure. Our checking accounts come with a lot of “NOs”:

No minimum-balance fees
No monthly fees
No debit-card fees
No per-check fees
No ATM fees
No fees to speak with a representative.

But we have a few really great “YESes,” too:

Yes to earning dividends
Yes to FREE checks
Yes to more than 28,000 surcharge-free ATMs
Yes to FREE mobile banking, text banking, bill payment, and online banking.

We offer checking plans for every stage of life. View checking options here and a handy checking account switch kit here. Open your account today and start keeping more of your hard-earned money.

*Figure based on Bankrate.com’s report that nationwide, the average interest-bearing checking account costs $14.15 per month in fees, and that the average ATM fee in Seattle is $2.63 (estimate above assumes two ATM visits per week).

Mobile Banking – Your money anytime, anywhere

Now, you can tap into your account on the go via text, Web, or app with new Mobile Banking, all safeguarded with the top-rated security of our Online Banking system.

Choose the option that’s right for you:

Text. From any phone with texting capability, you can view the last five transactions on designated accounts, check current balances on all accounts, and make transfers from your designated accounts. You also can set up text alerts to automatically notify you of your balances weekly or whenever your balance reaches a certain amount.
Web. Good with any smartphone and service provider, you’ll get the most popular Online Banking functions you use now on your computer. If you’ve already signed up for Online Bill Payer, you can use it, too.
App. iPhone users can download a free app from iTunes App Store, and Andriod users can download a free app from the Andriod Market. Both of which gives you Online Banking’s features in a sleek app format.

Get started today

For Text Message Banking:

Log in to Online Banking from your computer and click the "Mobile Banking & Alerts” link from the “Account Access” page. .
Enter your cell phone number under Text Message Banking and accept the Terms & Conditions.
You’ll receive a passcode on your phone, then enter it on your computer to activate the service.
Follow screen prompts to select your primary account, a transfer account, and automated alerts.
Verify and save.
Receive a confirmation.
To view a Demo for Mobile Text Message Banking, click here. If you don't have the newest version of Adobe Flash click here, it's FREE!

For security reasons, Text Banking users must enroll from their computers rather than from their phones. Once you’re enrolled, you don’t need a password to access your information via text message, and you can text Keyword requests for balances and history to 454545.

For Web-enabled Smartphone Banking:

Make sure you’ve already enrolled in Online Banking on your computer.
With an open browser, log in to our Home Page at www.secuwa.org OR download the free SECUWA application from iTunes App Store or Android Market.
Enter your User ID and password – the same as if you’re using Online Banking from your home computer – and click Login.
Answer security questions as needed, and select “CONTINUE.”
To view a Demo for Web Mobile Banking, click here. If you don't have the newest version of Adobe Flash click here, it's FREE!

Now you’re ready to use Mobile Banking for functions like checking account balances, transaction details, and current rates; transferring funds between accounts; paying bills (if you’re already a Bill Payer member); finding ATM locations; sending e-mail; and more.

All Mobile Banking users: For your security, you must have already set up Online Banking and Bill Payer on your computer (no initial registration via mobile phone). All Mobile Banking sessions time out after no activity for five minutes, and a security lockout on your phone also locks out your computer. For more information, please click on the FAQs at the top of the page.

Drive home a bargain – auto loans as low as 1.99% APR*

If you’ve been waiting to replace a worn-out car, now’s the time to act. We have rates starting as low as 1.99% APR for 36-month auto loans:

New cars
Used cars
Refinances from other lenders
Up to 100% financing, including tax and license, plus an optional $1,000 extra**
.50% discount for qualifying hybrids – rates starting at 1.49% APR
Other vehicles may be used as collateral (you must own the vehicle without any loans or liens)
Additional rates (2.99% - 9.49% APR) and terms up to 84 months available.

Don’t delay! We can’t guarantee how long we can hold rates this low. Please call us today or apply online to lock in your rate.

*APR = Annual Percentage Rate. 1.99% rate shown assumes 36-month loan terms, includes a .50% discount for repayment by direct deposit or payroll deduction. Auto loans for qualifying hybrids receive an additional .50% discount, for rates starting at 1.49% APR. (Please call us to see if the vehicle you're interested in qualifies for the hybrid discount.) Current credit union auto loans are not eligible for refinancing at these rates. Additional rates and terms are available, including auto loans up to 60 months at 2.99% - 8.49% APR and up to 84 months at 3.74% - 9.49% APR. Your personal credit history will determine the rate for which you may qualify. Example: If you borrow $20,000 at 1.99% APR for 36 months, your monthly payment would be $572.76 for a principal and interest total of $20,619.51. Rates are subject to change.

**Including tax and license and up to $1,000 extra. Although the credit union charges no fees for auto loans, fees charged by third parties (including other financial institutions or agencies like the Department of Licensing) may apply.

Important changes to Online Banking Security
We’ve made changes in several key areas to improve your Online Banking experience while adding new layers of security to thwart fraud.

Here’s what the changes mean to you:

New option for Online Banking login.
For added security, Online Banking users have the option to replace their account number as their Online Banking login with a secret user ID they choose. Go to "User Options" and select "Change Online User ID."

You’ll notice a change in how we've labeled the login field for online banking. The words “User ID” have replaced “Account #.”

Tighter login security on unregistered machines.
Members continue to have the option to go into Online Banking’s “User Options” to register secure computers as “private.” That means they need only provide their User ID and password to access Online Banking when using those machines.

Unregistered computers require extra login security in addition to the member’s Online User ID and password. To confirm their identity, members may answer security questions they’ve already established or enter new, single-use passcodes. The single-use passcodes are automatically sent to member’s e-mail addresses or phones. A new passcode will be sent each time members log in from an unregistered machine, even if that machine has been used before.

All computers are considered “public” (and require the security questions or passcodes) until they’ve registered as “private” by members changing their settings within “User Options.”

Secure e-mail offers a safe, new option to share financial data.
Ordinary e-mail never should be used to send sensitive financial or personal data.

Now, Online Banking includes secure e-mail – protected by its gold-standard security – that you can use to safely send and receive confidential data, links, and attached documents.

Online Banking users can access a private, secure e-mail InBox by clicking the “Secure Email & FAQs” link. The InBox will automatically archive the past 13 months of messages (they’ll be deleted automatically after that).

Access a searchable library of FAQs for answers to common questions.
Get answers fast – no need to call, send a secure e-mail, or wait until normal business hours. Type in a keyword, product, or service and receive a list of possible answers to your question. Then, rate the quality of the answer to help FAQs get better over time.

You also can download product brochures, Terms & Conditions, and many other credit union documents, too.

Design Your Own Card - Make your credit card as unique as you are

What could possibly make our low-rate, no-annual fee Visa credit card even better?

How about seeing your grandkids’ smiling faces every time you use it? Or your lovable four-legged pal? Or your favorite vacation, graduation, or wedding photo?

Now you can, with Design Your Own Credit Card! For a one-time fee of just $10, you can put your own photo on your credit union Visa credit card. Or, you can choose among breathtaking photos from our image library.

All joint members on your account can design their own cards using different photos, too (each custom card is $10). You pay only when you decide to change a photo – there’s never a fee to keep your custom photo (or go back to our standard credit card image) when your card renews. You can change the picture on your card as often as every 30 days.

Creating your own card is fast, easy, and fun using our online Design Center. Watch a DEMO or link to Frequently Asked Questions for information about image format and photo choice guidelines. You can get started now by logging in to Online Banking, selecting the Visa Credit Card tab and either clicking the Design Your Own Card banner or selecting Online Services.

"Pay Other People" (Popmoney)

Send money electronically to anyone with an e-mail address or mobile phone

If you use wire transfers to send cash to your college student or to give money as a gift, you’ll want to take advantage of a new enhancement to Online Banking’s Funds Transfer feature (formerly, External Transfers).

“Pay Other People” (Popmoney for short) lets you send money online to anyone in the United States who has a valid e-mail address or mobile phone number. You don’t need to know the recipient’s financial account number or even where he or she banks. Best of all, unlike wire transfers or money orders, it’s FREE when you choose standard delivery.

Popmoney is a great alternative to PayPal™ for shopping and makes it easy to contribute money to a charity drive, pay a roommate for your share of household expenses, or make just about any one-time or recurring payment to an individual. It’s also the perfect solution for transferring money to accounts on which you’re not the primary accountholder.

When you use Popmoney, recipients receive an e-mail or text message with instructions that let them choose where they’d like to have the money deposited. If they’ve already used Popmoney and activated its Automatic Deposit feature, they’ll receive the funds automatically in as little as one to three business days. (If this is the first time, the recipient will need to provide his or her bank account information on the secure Popmoney website, then he or she will receive your deposit within three business days.)

Popmoney ensures absolute privacy. Recipients never see your bank account number and you never see theirs. For security reasons, senders and recipients enter a verification code with each transaction, and limits apply to amounts transferred.

Once you’ve registered to send money through Popmoney, you can receive Popmoney payments, too.

To register, go to Online Banking’s Money Manager, click Funds Transfer & Popmoney, and select the “Pay Other People” feature.

Popmoney FAQs